Infinity
by gungnirburst
Summary: A collection of moments on the timeless shores of Valhalla. [Caius/Lightning.] [Hiatus.]
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Infinity  
><strong>Author<strong>: keadeblue264  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Caius/Lightning  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A collection of moments on the timeless shores of Valhalla. Caius/Lightning.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Final Fantasy XIII-2 belongs to Square Enix. I make no monetary profit from this fiction. This written work is my own and may not be copied or reposted elsewhere and permission will not be given for either.  
><strong>WarningsNotes**: Uh. Angry Lightning?

Please enjoy.

* * *

><p>He had insulted her before they kissed for the first time.<p>

It wasn't an outright jibe. His words were used carefully, eloquently concealing but not covering all the way. She could tell it was an insult just by looking at his face. It seemed all Caius ever wanted to do was get a rise out of her, make her fight him harder, crawl under her skin just enough to make the force of her blows more deadly in response.

Lightning could see his thoughts swirling in his eyes whenever they did battle. He thought her efforts useless, thought her resolve lesser than his own. And it gave him some kind of silent amusement regardless. He was like the parent watching their child attempt a feat but knew they would ultimately fail. Except, there would be no hushed words of comfort or assurances that there would always be a second chance when the failure finally did come.

If she did lose for good, if the final result was not a draw, that would be it. Caius wouldn't allow her a second attempt. Nothing she could do would change it.

All the same, the insult bit at a raw nerve with blunt teeth. He'd meant for that one to sting more than any other previously thrown before. Her eyes narrowed at him, the stirrings of anger already rising its way up her throat like hot bile from her stomach. It burned in a way that was familiar, almost normal. She'd spent years being angry before her arrival to Valhalla.

Caius more infuriatingly had a knack of knowing what she was thinking without her having to ever say it aloud. It angered her even more how he seemed privy to her mind. A smirk tugged at his lips, one she hated with everything she had, and it was challenging. He wanted her to do something, say something in protest.

But she waited. He would make a move sooner or later, and she would have the satisfaction of knowing she retaliated when he attacked first. Caius always was the first to strike, and Lightning wanted to keep it that way. If anything, it made her defenses stronger, gave her more opportunity to form an attack plan.

Something changed. His face grew blank, unreadable, as if his intentions were rewritten in a language difficult to understand or decode. Lightning could never say she truly knew what was going on in his mind, but the situation was suddenly unnerving. She knew nothing about what her opponent's next move would be, whether he would attack or leave or maybe even taunt her more.

Time meant nothing in Valhalla. Time had stopped like frozen hands on an old watch. But, even if time meant something and it still moved forward as designed, Lightning would not have gotten enough of it to stop what was going to happen.

Caius grabbed her with both hands, and her immediate reaction to having his mouth come into contact with her own was a sharp breath through her nose. His lips were hard against hers, as if he wanted to hurt her still. His hands were tight around her upper arms, pulling her up against him, his neck craned down to meet her. He was not gentle with her, jerking her around and forcing her as if she were nothing but a rag doll he could easily manipulate without much effort.

By that point, she was so angry, so maddeningly stunned that he would even try this on her, the clench of her jaw was the only outward indication of how she felt about it. It wouldn't have mattered it Caius was her friend or the enemy he in fact was; she didn't take kindly to being treated as such. Her fury was a quiet one seething a flame in her skull, and if she thought she thought he would actually die from it, she would have attempted to snap his neck. Her hands wound into first at his chest. If they were further apart, Lightning would have thrown a punch at his face.

She pushed Caius away roughly, barely resisting the urge to either wipe her mouth off or lick her lips to rid herself of the taste of him. He merely stared at her with the same unfathomable look as before, waiting to see how she would respond. Her breath was labored, body trembling with a rage barely suppressed.

Lightning walked away. Despite how much she wanted to lash out at him for even daring to touch her, she simply walked away. She wouldn't play into his hand if he was resorting to some sort of trickery. It didn't stop her from breaking something with her fist when her feet finally stilled their movement just so some of the tension would leave her body.

Even if she looked out onto the world where time still flowed, Lightning couldn't have measured how long she stayed mad at him. She couldn't recall if her hatred for him had ever been this large and consuming. And she didn't really notice if her swings at him with her gunblade were more violent and forceful than before.

Later, she would look back and wonder why he did it, but that thought was still a long way off.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: I figured it best to take my shorter ideas and just put them together in one ongoing thing. I know there's already a CaiusLightning collection on this site, but well. My ANs aren't here so I can give my opinion on other stories. Besides, I don't think another collection is going to hurt anything. Please Review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Infinity  
><strong>Author<strong>: keadeblue264  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Caius/Lightning  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A collection of moments on the timeless shores of Valhalla. Caius/Lightning.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Final Fantasy XIII-2 belongs to Square Enix. I make no monetary profit from this fiction. This written work is my own and may not be copied or reposted elsewhere and permission will not be given for either.  
><strong>WarningsNotes**: Le minor violence.

Please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Her eyes were fiery and defiant. She matched him blow for blow, swing for swing, block for block. She never once backed down, never once faltered even one single step.<p>

It was perfect.

On some level, Caius did minutely enjoy having someone to fight who was on equal ground with him. It was somewhat thrilling having an opponent who wouldn't go down easily.

She was made for him.

Taunting Lightning was second only to fighting her as far as enjoyment went. She always had something to say in reply, her tone usually implying that his words were a waste of her precious time, which was ridiculous because time wasn't a concern in Valhalla. But it seemed to wear her already thin patience nonetheless.

Caius ran at her, his weapon still present in his hand, and she mirrored him. The distance gradually closed and lessened. With a slight twist of his lips, he lunged forward and their blades became caught in the middle and crossed, pushing up against each other before finally stilling.

This wasn't the first time they ended up being this close, their respective blades locked in between them. Hardly. Caius could feel her force upon his weapon, her efforts to push him back so she could attempt to strike him. Her brows were furrowed lines above blue eyes, forehead wrinkled with concentration.

He laughed quietly at Lightning, a series of short rumbles deep in his throat, and her eyes burned into a brighter flame, ethereal like skies during a particularly strong thunderstorm. By now, Caius knew all the ways to flare her temper and egg her on. Her actions never failed to amuse him.

They jumped back from each other, each landing gracefully on their feet, standing straight and watching the other for openings. Lightning seemed unaffected by their exchanges, not even slightly out of breath or tired, as if they weren't in the midst of battle once again. Valhalla had that advantage. It didn't allow for death or weariness; Etro wouldn't allow her chosen warriors to perish. If they so choose, they could fight nonstop forever, until the timeline truly ended, until the world crumbled and broke under the strain of the universe.

He watched her take in a deep breath, making her plated chest rise and fall slowly. Lightning was formulating a plan of attack, but Caius wouldn't allow her to stay out of motion while the thoughts churned in her pretty little head. In a flash he was moving toward her once more.

As always, she charged forward as well, ready for the fight to go on. Lightning was always ready, as was Caius, and in that way their battle was an unending one, almost like war.

Their fights were like a choreographed dual movement, a dance of fated violence, a waltz of swinging blades. Beautiful and eternal, they would continue to fight, the timeless land of Valhalla a stage for their ongoing clash.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Thank you all for the comments on the first chapter! This is not really romantic, but I like to think the line, "She was made for him" as a little hinting of CaiusLight. A very, very, very small tiny bit of mostly violence implied subtext. Please Review.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Infinity  
><strong>Author<strong>: keadeblue264  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Caius/Lightning  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A collection of moments on the timeless shores of Valhalla. Caius/Lightning.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Final Fantasy XIII-2 belongs to Square Enix. I make no monetary profit from this fiction. This written work is my own and may not be copied or reposted elsewhere and permission will not be given for either.  
><strong>WarningsNotes**: Sexual themes.

* * *

><p>In a way, they're almost like battle wounds. There is a story behind each and very one.<p>

A struggle for power took place around her wrists. Her throat and clavicle were the main battlefield and most affected by the carnage. The defeat had become final at her hips. It had been quite the battle and she was left with the proof of what happened.

Except, Lightning remembers bitterly and with a throb of hate in her gut, battle wounds do not usually include bite marks. There's an angry red one on her right shoulder, and she recalls the blunt feel of his teeth digging into her skin, sharp and pinching at the point of his canines. The indentations are still fresh, even though he is gone.

Red and speckled are the blemishes scattered around the line of her neck. Just being aware of their presence makes her recall the sensation of his mouth against her skin. The kisses eat her alive. His breath is a hot tremble down her spine. The biting triggers certain synapses she previously thought dead.

She's okay with the lingering feeling left behind on her wrists from where he had held them tight in his hands, if not slightly begrudged about it. Being restrained is humiliating to Lightning, but she's found herself oddly forgiving in the heat of the moment on more than one occasion. Her displeasure always comes back full force when everything is said and done, but he never sticks around long enough after to hear it.

She doesn't want to think about the rest of the marks below her neckline. But she knows they aren't much different. Sporadically placed across her flesh, they only serve as reminders.

Sometimes she almost wishes the red on her skin was from a real battle instead. She could handle those. They carry less baggage. Less of her thoughts are connected to them.

These marks, these physical representations of mock affection never completely fade away. Caius won't let them. When an old one does actually disappear, two more take its place. It is as if he is obsessed with keeping his mark on her. He may even be a man possessed by knowing something of him shows on her skin.

But she's marked him as well. She knows of the scratches at his back over his shoulder blades, put them there herself with her own fingernails. And that is a small victory she can live with.

* * *

><p>So. I derped. I wrote this with a "ooo new story" mindset. Then completely forgot that I could just add it to this because I was almost done with the one I had originally planned to be the third part. And this realization came after I had already posted it as a new story.<p>

Yeah.

Well. At least you guys can take comfort in the fact that the next chapter is almost done.

Review.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Infinity  
><strong>Author<strong>: gungnirburst  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: Caius/Lightning  
><strong>Summary<strong>: A collection of moments on the timeless shores of Valhalla. Caius/Lightning.  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: _Final Fantasy XIII-2_ belongs to _Square Enix_. I make no monetary profit from this fiction. This written work is my own and may not be copied or reposted elsewhere and permission will not be given for either.  
><strong>WarningsNotes**: mild violence, forced physical contact.

* * *

><p>"You will lose," he says lowly into her ear, his breath like a heavy weight perched upon her shoulders. He surrounds her from behind and his large blade is at her throat. One slip is all it would take for the battle to be over, but there's no give that would allow her to escape. He has her restrained with his body, paralyzed in a way.<p>

Their fight has changed. But she understands why he's initiated this alteration, if only in a vague sense.

Her breath hitches sharply as Caius's free hand slides over her left side, its journey stopping at her hip. His nose is in her hair, and the blade held so close to her exposed throat inches closer. She can almost feel the power of his sword against her skin. It burns with a low heat, just like his own body. And she knows that small warmth could explode into an inferno at any moment.

This new tactic (Lightning won't refer to it as anything else) is a parody of intimacy. This is the only way he can touch her in a way not meant to hurt. Not necessarily allowed; Lightning would never allow it normally. He'd tried once, and she supposes her reaction is what brought this on. But Caius is too determined to merely let it slide.

He's made it all too clear that he doesn't only want her as a rival. He wants everything she could possibly give. Her life, her body, her heart. Everything.

"Let me go," she growls out. She tries to surge forward, hoping it'll surprise him enough so his hold will loosen, but the arm wrapped around her front and keeping the blade at her neck only tightens its grip. It was a dangerous move, one that could have beheaded her if he had wanted that to happen.

But no. He won't kill her. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"You ask for the impossible," he says in reply, his voice once again right at her ear. His lips press underneath the lobe then brush down the curve of her throat. She grits her teeth. "You won't yield for me?" he questions. "Is your pride so great," he pauses to nuzzle further into her throat and her skin burns with every breath he takes, "that you will continue to fight me?"

She looks up at the sky, almost as if she's looking for insight. And maybe she is. The sky in Valhalla always appears on the brink of rainfall, with gray clouds and a dimmed light from a sun she has yet to truly see. Maybe there is no sun. Just like there might not be any hope left for her now.

"I will not lose."

* * *

><p>Here. Have a story I only just wrote today and the knowledge that I've changed my pen name. Yes.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

This is actually really important so I thought it better to just put it on my WIP stories instead of on my profile because, seriously, not everyone would see it that way. I won't be writing another note like this, I promise.

Anyway, after a lot of thought, I've decided that I'm going to leave this site. I kinda already left it a long time ago, but might as well make it official. The leave is for a lot of reasons: I don't come here anymore for hardly anything, this is no longer my preferred site for publishing fanfiction, I don't even log on much anymore, etc.

Don't get me wrong; it's been a lot fun while it lasted, but it's not fair for me to leave people hanging without an explanation. I might post here sometimes if the urge strikes me, but as far as that's concerned, I have moved operations. I'm going to miss this place, but I figured it was about time for me to be honest and not drag it out any longer.

The second purpose of this note is to give an update on the status of WIP stories, status matching the WIP fic. If you're curious about whether or not I will be continuing a certain piece please check that fic. Status will also be in the summary, but details about it will be in the fic. All that though will be put after this message.

I also figured it only fair to put where I'll be so you might continue to read my fics or just be in touch with me. I'm available at these four places:

**Tumblr**: megalovanias . tumblr . com

This is my personal tumblr where I post fandom junk and cry. What else is tumblr for.

**Tumblr**: nahoes . tumblr . com

This my writing tumblr. Not everything I write will go here and I might not update it that often, but it's a good place to look. I prefer this since I can prevent people from stealing my work. Thank you, HTML.

**Archive Of Our Own**: archiveofourown . org (slash) users (slash) gungnirburst

This is where I've moved to, basically. Same deal with the writing blog, though. My mood really decides what goes here and what goes on the writing blog. My more recent stuff is here so feel free.

**Twitter**: twitter . com (slash) megalovanias

If you ever wanted to see me cry about fandom in real time.

Now you don't have to do anything with these links. They're here just so you know that I'm not dropping off the face of the planet. You don't even have to acknowledge that I gave them. But just know they are available and you can bother me at these places. My PMs will still be open, too. Like I said, I may not do much here currently, but that doesn't mean I'm 100% done with this site. If you ever see my stories have been deleted, _then_ I will be done here. But they're staying for now. I'm not willing to completely let go of this account just yet!

And so ends the generic note! Please look below the line for story status.

* * *

><p><strong>Infinity<strong>: Hiatus.

I've been meaning to write more for this. Getting around to it is a different thing entirely. Things have changed since the start of this fic, and I actually have played all three games so I can write the characters talking more now. Again, just can't get around to it.

This story is available on AO3 where the same thing applies.


End file.
